Jose Manzo, manager of Seaside Gardens Nursery in Carpinteria, is a big proponent of Mediterranean-zoned trees, shrubs and perennials, which are less thirsty than other non-natives or exotic plants. One of his favorite choices is the grevillea (photo), an Australian protea relative available in shrub and tree forms.
"These plants are bulletproof for most gardens," Manzo says. "Grevilleas are easy to grow, they have a long bloom time and the hummingbirds love them." With fine-textured, evergreen foliage and long, slender, curved flowers in warm-hot shades, this is a knockout landscape plant. A bonus: It won't tolerate heavy irrigation, so grevillea is a great choice for the dry garden.
Water-wise lawns in drought: Plant diehard native plants; place rocks-Landscape architect Alison Terry of Terry Design in Fullerton specializes in sustainable landscape design and is a board member of the Mediterranean Garden Society.
-cw
CityWatch
Pub: Sep 15, 2014
